Chessbase 9 is my favorite chess software--I use it every day.
farbror> How much does ChessBase 8 differ from Chessbase 9?
You're going to want to add games to your database, right? The 2008 database claims it requires Chessbase 9. You may want to check if that's the case before buying Chessbase 8.
I would probably use it for my own games in the first place. If version 8 and version 9 is similar in functionallity then buying a sharp version 8 might be a nice introdustion to the software instead of spending a lot on the hottest version.
Which one do you prefere?